diff --git a/src/components/join-flow/username-step.jsx b/src/components/join-flow/username-step.jsx
index 5e56440b8..b701ac825 100644
--- a/src/components/join-flow/username-step.jsx
+++ b/src/components/join-flow/username-step.jsx
@@ -21,16 +21,26 @@ class UsernameStep extends React.Component {
         super(props);
         bindAll(this, [
             'handleChangeShowPassword',
+            'handleFocused',
             'handleValidSubmit',
             'validatePasswordIfPresent',
             'validatePasswordConfirmIfPresent',
             'validateUsernameIfPresent',
             'validateForm'
         ]);
+        this.state = {
+            focused: null,
+            showPassword: false
+        };
     }
     handleChangeShowPassword () {
         this.setState({showPassword: !this.state.showPassword});
     }
+    // track the currently focused input field, to determine whether each field should
+    // display a tooltip. (We only display it if a field is focused and has never been touched.)
+    handleFocused (fieldName) {
+        this.setState({focused: fieldName});
+    }
     // we allow username to be empty on blur, since you might not have typed anything yet
     validateUsernameIfPresent (username) {
         if (!username) return null; // skip validation if username is blank; null indicates valid
@@ -109,7 +119,9 @@ class UsernameStep extends React.Component {
                         handleSubmit,
                         isSubmitting,
                         setFieldError,
+                        setFieldTouched,
                         setFieldValue,
+                        touched,
                         validateField,
                         values
                     } = props;
@@ -135,14 +147,18 @@ class UsernameStep extends React.Component {
                                     id="username"
                                     name="username"
                                     placeholder={this.props.intl.formatMessage({id: 'general.username'})}
+                                    toolTip={this.state.focused === 'username' && !touched.username &&
+                                        this.props.intl.formatMessage({id: 'registration.usernameAdviceShort'})}
                                     validate={this.validateUsernameIfPresent}
                                     validationClassName="validation-full-width-input"
                                     /* eslint-disable react/jsx-no-bind */
                                     onBlur={() => validateField('username')}
                                     onChange={e => {
                                         setFieldValue('username', e.target.value);
+                                        setFieldTouched('username');
                                         setFieldError('username', null);
                                     }}
+                                    onFocus={() => this.handleFocused('username')}
                                     /* eslint-enable react/jsx-no-bind */
                                 />
                                 <div className="join-flow-password-section">
@@ -157,6 +173,8 @@ class UsernameStep extends React.Component {
                                         id="password"
                                         name="password"
                                         placeholder={this.props.intl.formatMessage({id: 'general.password'})}
+                                        toolTip={this.state.focused === 'password' && !touched.password &&
+                                            this.props.intl.formatMessage({id: 'registration.passwordAdviceShort'})}
                                         type={values.showPassword ? 'text' : 'password'}
                                         /* eslint-disable react/jsx-no-bind */
                                         validate={password => this.validatePasswordIfPresent(password, values.username)}
@@ -164,8 +182,10 @@ class UsernameStep extends React.Component {
                                         onBlur={() => validateField('password')}
                                         onChange={e => {
                                             setFieldValue('password', e.target.value);
+                                            setFieldTouched('password');
                                             setFieldError('password', null);
                                         }}
+                                        onFocus={() => this.handleFocused('password')}
                                         /* eslint-enable react/jsx-no-bind */
                                     />
                                     <FormikInput
@@ -180,6 +200,12 @@ class UsernameStep extends React.Component {
                                         placeholder={this.props.intl.formatMessage({
                                             id: 'registration.confirmPasswordInstruction'
                                         })}
+                                        toolTip={
+                                            this.state.focused === 'passwordConfirm' && !touched.passwordConfirm &&
+                                                this.props.intl.formatMessage({
+                                                    id: 'registration.passwordConfirmAdviceShort'
+                                                })
+                                        }
                                         type={values.showPassword ? 'text' : 'password'}
                                         /* eslint-disable react/jsx-no-bind */
                                         validate={() =>
@@ -187,13 +213,13 @@ class UsernameStep extends React.Component {
                                                 values.passwordConfirm)
                                         }
                                         validationClassName="validation-full-width-input"
-                                        onBlur={() =>
-                                            validateField('passwordConfirm')
-                                        }
+                                        onBlur={() => validateField('passwordConfirm')}
                                         onChange={e => {
                                             setFieldValue('passwordConfirm', e.target.value);
+                                            setFieldTouched('passwordConfirm');
                                             setFieldError('passwordConfirm', null);
                                         }}
+                                        onFocus={() => this.handleFocused('passwordConfirm')}
                                         /* eslint-enable react/jsx-no-bind */
                                     />
                                     <div className="join-flow-input-title">